No defense gave up more passing touchdowns in 2025 than the New York Jets (36).
No defense in NFL history finished a season without an interception… until the 2025 New York Jets.
An overhaul in defensive coaching has already been enforced by Aaron Glenn to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Part of the pass-defense improvement, though, has to come from bringing in better players.
Perhaps more important than acquiring new players is getting some of the younger players on the roster to improve drastically in their second year.
New York drafted two defensive backs in 2025. In the third round, they added Florida State corner Azareye’h Thomas, and in the fourth, Alabama safety Malachi Moore was selected.
Both had moments of competence in their rookie season. If the Jets are going to take a defensive leap in 2026, these two need to be even better in their sophomore campaigns.
Jets’ defensive plan to focus on youngsters
The Jets may be planning to deploy Thomas as one of their starting cornerbacks next season, but a December shoulder injury raises concern. The corner underwent surgery for the injury, and there will be questions surrounding his availability in Year 2 with New York.
When he was healthy, though, Thomas showed signs of promise. He racked up seven passes defended in limited action and allowed a 48% completion rate on throws in his direction, per Pro Football Focus. Most notably, Thomas battled hard against the Bengals’ wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins when forced into the starting lineup by Sauce Gardner’s injury.
However, the 21-year-old had plenty of rookie bumps, finishing 87th out of 114 cornerbacks in PFF’s overall grade (55.1). He battled hard as a young player with limited breakaway speed, but there is room for growth and a high ceiling to be reached.
A second year learning from Glenn could be huge for Thomas if he is healthy.
Moore also did not grade highly in his rookie season (58.9 overall grade, via PFF), though he, too, showed promise, recording 101 tackles, a forced fumble, and a recovered fumble. Coverage was an issue, as he allowed a 116.1 passer rating across 31 targets.
Still, the tape showed an intense player who could make an impact around the ball, and a young player with the right mindset to help anchor an NFL defense.
Remember, Moore was a fourth-round pick. Players of his stature aren’t expected to waltz into a defense and immediately be one of their better players. Moore certainly made rookie mistakes, but he also impressed with his professionalism and leadership on the field.
“He is very, very coachable, and he wants to do the right things,” Glenn said in December. “He’s still going to make his mistakes, and we all know that, but there are steps he’s taken that we can all see that he’s going to be a hell of a player for us.”
New York will need more from both Moore and Thomas this upcoming season. How the team attacks free agency and the draft at the position will say a lot about how much they believe in each of them.
